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,,.. Cornell University Library
VM301.P17 D57
Some account of the works of Palmers Shi
olin
3 1924 030 901 890
Cornell University
Library
The original of this book is in
the Cornell University Library.
There are no known copyright restrictions in
the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/cletails/cu31924030901890
palmers
Sbipbuilbing anb
3ron Company?
Ximiteb.
^^/fc/g'
CHARLES B. B. MCLAREN, Esq., M.P., Chairman of the Company.
SOME ACCOUNT OF
THE. WORKS or
miMERS SHIP
BUILDING 6IR0N
COMPANY Line
Compiled by
MALCOLM DILLOn
3ccrefaa| op Palmerj (pvnpo.ny.
NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE :
W. E. FRANKLIN.
Printed by
Banks &^ Co., Gi'ange Printing Works,
Edinburgh,
^
l>^,
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Mr Charles B. B. McLaren, M.P. Frontispiece
Sir Charles Mamc Palmer, Bart., M.P. 6
View of Works 9
Bede's Chair, Jarrow 10
The "Revenge" leaving Jarrow ii
Entrance to Mechanics' Institute 13
The Memorial Hospital, Jarrow 14
Shipbuilding Yard 15
S.S. "John Bowes" 17
H.M.S. "Terror" 19
H.M.S. "Russell' 19
H.M.S. "Orlando" 21
H. M..S. "Alacrity" 22
H.M.S. "Resolution" 23
The Tank Steamer " Rotterdam " 24
I. — S.S. "SocoTRA"; z. — S.S. "Asturia";
3. — S.S. "Montcalm" 25
Tug "Penguin" 26
H.M.S. "Star" 27
S.S. "Manchester Port" 28
H.M.S. "Bat" 29
Trinity Yacht "Irene" 30
Graving Dock, &c. 31
Engines of Torpedo-Boat Destroyer 33
Water-Tube Boiler 34
H.M.S. "Pyramus" 35
West Jetty and Sheerlegs 36
Engine Works — Fn ting Shop 37
Blast Furnaces 39
Steel Works 41
New Boiler Shop (South-End) 43
New Boiler Shop (North-End) 45
Shipyard Fitting Shop 47
Sailing-Ship " Lydgate " in Dock 49
PALMERS SHIPBUILDING & IRON
COMPANY LTD.
VIDENCE that the district of the Tyne was
from an early period an important ship-
building centre is afforded by the fact
that, writing more than a century and a
half ago, Defoe, in speaking of this river,
says : " They build ships here to perfection
— I mean as to strength and firmness, and to bear
the sea." Since this was written the world has
moved at a marvellous pace, and remarkable progress
has been made in the construction of ships, but
the Tyne has well maintained the reputation she
possessed in the days of Defoe. The annual
aggregate of vessels launched from her banks now
exceeds 300,000 tons, which is equal to about one-
fifth of the whole shipbuilding output of the United
Kingdom. The Tyne has been the birthplace of
many great ideas. At Palmers the first screw collier
was built from which grew our great steamship
7
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carrying trade. At Palmers, again, the superiority of
rolled armour plates for vessels of war was first demon-
strated, and the double bottom for water-ballast was
originated. At Elswick, the genius of Lord Armstrong
revolutionised modern ordnance, and on Tyneside
Stephenson built and perfected the first locomotive which
was destined to become so enormous a factor in human
activity.
The Works of Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company
are situated on the south bank of the river at Jarrow, in
the county of Durham. Jarrow is about seven miles from
Newcastle, and three miles from South Shields, and is
approached by the North-Eastern Railway Company's
branch line from Newcastle to South Shields. The town
■derives its name from the Saxon word Gyrwy or Gyrvy,
meaning a marsh or fen, and referring to an extensive
pool on the east side called Jarrow Slake. The Slake is
an estuary of the Tyne, now largely reclaimed ; but at
one time it covered nearly 500 acres, and was sufficiently
expansive to accommodate the whole Royal Navy of
Egfrid, King of Northumbria. Jarrow is, however, best
known to antiquaries as the home of the Venerable Bede,
who, according to the historian Green, was "first among
English scholars, first among English theologians, first
among English historians," and who is styled by Burke,
"the father of English learning." Bede was born in one
of the adjoining villages in the year 673, and on the
consecration of the Abbey at Jarrow in 684 was removed
to that house from the Monastery at Monkwearmouth.
He remained at Jarrow continuously until his death
in 735, devoting his whole attention, as he himself
tells us, to the study of the Scriptures, the observance
of monastic discipline, the daily occupation of chanting
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Bede's Chair,
in the church, and to learning, teaching and writing.
His remains were first interred in the church at Jarrow,
but were subsequently stolen by a monk of Durham, and
removed to the cathedral in that city. In the church,
which includes a portion of the original abbey, is a
rudely cut oak chair, said to
have been used by Bede,
the dilapidation of which
is due to the passion for
relics exhibited by pilgrims
Bede was the
author of a large number
of ecclesiastical works.
"The lamp of learn-
ing," writes Surtees,
"trimmed by the
hand of a single
monastic, who never
passed the limits of his
Northumbrian province,
I'radiated, from the cell of
Jan■o^\■, the Saxon realm of
England with a clear and
stead}' light, and when Bede died,
• '■ history reversed her torch and quenched
it in deep night." On the extreme west
side of the Palmer Works is Bede's Well, which as
late as the middle of the eighteenth century "was in
repute as a bath for the recovery of infirm or diseased
children," and in its neighbourhood were celebrated the
usual sports of Midsummer Eve. It is supposed that
the monk made the Well the object of his walks from
Jarrow. The sylvan beauty of the spot has been
Palmers
marred by the presence of gigantic slag heaps, but every
precaution is being taken to prevent the obliteration
of this historic landmark.
The borough of Jarrow now contains upwards of
40,000 inhabitants, who are mainly employed in, or
dependent upon, the Palmer Works. So completely,
in fact, is the town identified with the works that it
might more appropriately be called " Palmer's Town."
It is governed by a mayor and corporation, the first
mayor having been Sir Charles Mark Palmer, Bart., M.P.,
THE ■■ REVENGE" LEAVING JAREOW.
From the Original Picture by N. M. Lund, exhibited in the Royal Academy, 1898 ; now in the possession of J. D. Milburn, Esq.
who represents the Jarrow division of the county of
Durham in the House of Commons, and who was the
founder of the Company, and its Chairman until he
retired in 1893. Sir Charles was born at South Shields
in 1822, and in conjunction with his brother George,
commenced the shipbuilding business in 1851 under the
style of Palmer Brothers & Company. Mr George Palmer
subsequently retired from the firm, and the business was
afterwards carried on by Sir Charles, who greatly
Palmers
enlarged the establishment by the addition of engine
works, iron rolling mills and blast furnaces. It was
converted into a limited liability company on its present
basis in 1865.
The site of the shipyard was originally leased to
the Palmer Brothers in 185 1 by Mr Carr-Ellison, of
Hebburn Hall, the father of the first Lady Northbourne,
to whose family the property has since passed. At that
time the only house standing between Hebburn Hall and
Bede's Church — an area now covered with the dwellings
of some 60,000 to 70,000 persons — was the Grange Farm,
which dates from 1666, and is still occupied. The
development of the neighbourhood since the establishment
of the shipyard has been enormous. Johnson in his work
on " The Making of the Tyne,'' describes the growth of
the town of Jarrow as a nineteenth century romance.
In less than half a century a small colliery village has
expanded into an important industrial town, with a busy
and thriving population, which, in spite of occasional
periods of depression, nevertheless shows abundant signs
of accumulated wealth and prosperity. In some respects
Jarrow is a unique town. Its outward appearance is
unattractive ; that is inevitable in a working-class town
amid the smoke-laden atmosphere of Tyneside ; but it is
the home of a vigorous community with a healthy public
life. Nearly half of the town belongs to the workmen
themselves. Early in the sixties, a building society was
started at the works in which the men were prompted
to take up shares in order that they might become the
possessors of their own houses. They responded freely,
and, in due course, acquired houses of their own, then
others adjoining ; and, fired with the spirit of speculation,
whole streets were built by the more thrifty and
Palmers
enterprising of the men, many of whom at this day
are very considerable property owners. In the seventies
and eighties it was the boast of Jarrow that it had more
working men property owners than any other town
of its size in the United Kingdom.
Civic progress went hand
in hand with individual ':
prosperity, and education,
religion, the arts and
sciences, recreation and
amusement, received
their share of pyblic
attention as the
village grew into
the town. Jarrow
now possesses
commodious Board
Schools, managed
by a representative
School Board, a
Mechanics' Institute,
a Hospital, a Theatre
and Concert Halls,
a public park, and
numerous churches
and chapels. The
Mechanics' Institute was
built in 1864. It has a library
of 5000 volumes, and Science and
Art classes are held there, the curriculum including naval
architecture, machine construction, applied mechanics and
kindred subjects. The Hospital was built in 1870 by
Sir Charles Palmer, as a memorial of his first wife, and
I'Inteivnck to
Mt:rHANICa'
iNSTITUrii.
13
Palmers
is maintained by the contributions of the workmen, for
whose exclusive use it was designed, supplemented by
an annual subscription from the Company. The hospital
is managed by a committee consisting of the principal
officials of the works, and representatives of the workmen,
and has a resident Doctor and Matron, and a staff of
Nurses. The head-quarters and drill ground of the
The Memorial Hospital,
Jarrow.
1st Durham Royal Engineer Volunteers, a regiment, 700
strong, which is to a large extent recruited from the
works, are also a feature of the town.
The Company's works cover an area of about 100 acres,
and have a river frontage of nearly three quarters of a
mile. They consist of a shipbuilding yard, graving dock
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and slipway, engine and boiler works, steel works and
blast furnaces, and include within themselves the entire
range of operations from the smelting of the ore to the
complete equipment of the vessel. The ore is received
from mines controlled by the Company in Spain, and
from other sources, at the blast furnace wharf, and is
converted into pig-iron in the furnaces. The pig-iron is
sent to the steel works, converted into steel, and rolled
into plates and bars, and these in their turn pass to the
shipyard where the vessel is completed and engined.
There are about eight miles of railway within the
works, and twelve locomotives are employed in conveying
material between the various departments. The works
are also connected by private lines with the North-Eastern
Railway, and with the various collieries from whick
supplies of coal and coke are derived.
The Shipbuilding Yard was established, as has been
stated, in 185 1, on the site of an old yard where wooden
frigates had, early in the century, been built for the British
Government, and it is interesting to note that the first
iron vessel delivered was a paddle tug named the
Northumberland. About this period the competition of
the new Midland coal fields began to seriously affect the
sale of north country coal, which had hitherto been
conveyed to the London market in small collier brigs, and
it became essential in the interests of colliery owners to
devise some means by which the staple produce of the
district could be conveyed to the Metropolis in an
expeditious, regular and economical manner. In order
to accomplish this object. Sir Charles Palmer, who was
connected with several large collieries in Northumberland
and Durham, designed an iron screw steamer, the John
Bowes, having a carrying capacity of 650 tons, which was
16
Palmers
capable of steaming nine miles per hour, and she was
launched on 30th June 1852. The experiment proved a
complete success, and to it may, in a great measure, be
attributed the important development of iron shipbuilding
on the north-east coast which afterwards took place.
The John Bowes, which is still afloat although nearly half-
a-century has elapsed since she was built, was the fore-
S.S. "JOHX BOWES." The FiiisT Imjx Screw Colliek.
runner of a long list of screw colliers, and was speedily
succeeded by the Williaui Hiitt, the Countess of Strat/wiore,
and numerous similar vessels.
As the works expanded, vessels of more pretentious
dimensions were taken in hand, the first being the large
paddle mail steamers Connaught and Leinster, which were
launched with their engines and boilers on board, and they
B 17
Palmers
were followed by the screw passenger steamers Hudson
and Weser. The outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854
created the first demand for armour-plated vessels ; the
J arrow company receiving an order for one ship of this
class. She was a floating battery, intended for the
destruction of the forts at Cronstadt, and designated the
Terror, a name applicable alike to her character and
proportions, her excessively sloping sides and bluff ends
forming a remarkable contrast to the graceful lines of the
modern battleship. It was at this juncture that the fame
of the Jarrow yard established itself, for the Terror \\2&
built, armour-plated and launched in about three months,
a performance which, considering the limited appliances
then available, compares favourably with any subsequent
records at Palmers' or elsewhere. This result was largely
due to the inventive genius of Sir Charles Palmer, \\'\\o
conceived the idea of rolling instead of forging the armour
plates. They were originally known as " Palmer's Rolled
Plates.'' The utility and importance of this invention has
since been fully demonstrated. The next contribution to
the Navy was in 1862, when the ironclad frigate. Defence^
was completed, the arm.our-plating of this vessel being
4i inches thick, and tongued and grooved at the joints. The
Indian troopship, Jumna, the largest vessel hitherto built
by the Company, and one of the most successful, followed
in 1866. She was one of a series of vessels designed, some
for the Indian side, and others for the European side, of
the Isthmus of Suez, prior to the opening of De Lesseps'
famous canal. In the sixties, the company commenced
the building of Atlantic Liners. They were from 300 feet
to 340 feet long, with a gross tonnage of 3,300 tons, and
were then considered to be very large vessels. Among
them may be mentioned the Montana and Dacota for the
iS
H.M.S. "TERROR"— The Fikst Wak Vessel built at Palmers, 1854.
H.M.S. "RUSSELL"— First-Class Battleship,
Commenced i8qq.
Palmers
old Guion Line, vessels of 400 feet in length, with an
abnormal slope of side, flush shell plating, and water-tube
boilers. The latter were subsequently changed for boilers
of the ordinary type, but it is interesting to note that at
this early date the adoption of the now well-known
Belleville boiler had been, to some extent, anticipated.
The American Civil War did not close before a demand
had been made upon the resources of the Jarrow yard, for
during that conflict two blockade runners were turned out.
These were long, narrow paddle boats of light draft and
high speed, and bore the not inappropriate names of
Ranger and Grapesliot. The next noteworthy vessels were
the Cerberus and Gorgon, names suggestive of their
character and purpose, they being heavily armour-plated
turret vessels of comparatively light draft and low free-
board, intended for harbour and coast defence, and these
were immediately followed by the armour-plated wood-
sheathed frigates Siinftsure and Triumpli, for oversea and
foreign service. About this time the construction was
commenced of three large \-essels of special type for
carrying petroleum in bulk, which vessels, like the Jolin
Bowes, proved to be prototypes of a similar class of
steamer, for the building of which the Tyne is still a
prominent centre.
The next order given by Her Majesty's Government
was in 1876 for the construction of a series of flat-
bottomed gunboats for river service. They were of a
peculiar form, being very broad for their length, which
was only about three and a half times their beam. The
desired and estimated speed was realised, and thus the
then existing theory that narrowness in proportion to
length was essential to obtain speed was very largely
discounted. In order to show the diversity of the work
Palmers
entrusted to Palmers Company by the Government, it
may be here stated that an order was received in 1881
for six torpedo-mining-boats of 65 feet length and 15 feet
beam, and about 104 tons displacement, which, small
and comparatively unimportant as they were, received
the same careful attention in their construction as
previous and subsequent larger contracts commanded.
About four years after, in 1885, the swift despatch
■ALACEITY.'
vessels, Surprise and Alacrity, were added to the
Company's long list of successes, and not only maintained
its reputation for excellence of work in the hulls, but
established an added renown for successful high-speed
machinery. In 1888, the belted cruisers, Orlando and
Undaunted, were produced, these vessels proving the
forerunners of the modern armoured cruiser, although
the original design has been considerably modified by
H.M.S. " liESOLUTION.'
Palmers
the introduction of Harveyised armour. Closely following
the belted cruisers were the wood-sheathed cruisers,
Pique, Rainbow, and Retribution, and the first-class
battleships, Resolution and Revenge, which latter are
among the largest fighting ships afloat. The last named
vessel was completed within a year of her launch — a
record which has not yet been surpassed. At the same
period the Company supplied the designs and specifications
for three armoured cruisers, which were built for the
Spanish Government at Bilbao. The three vessels were
The American Petrci.ei m Coy. Tank Steamer "ROTTERDAM."
named the Maria Theresa, Viscaya, and Alniirante
Oquendo, and took part in the recent Spanish-American
war.
The Company has constructed one of the largest
vessels afloat for carrying oil in bulk — the steamship
Rotterdam, and has also built and engined for the
Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company their
passenger steamer Borneo, and their large twin-screw
cargo steamer Socotra, both of which vessels have
proved eminently successful.
In 1893 a new departure in shipbuilding and engineering
24
I. Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Cd.'s Steamer "SOCOTRA."
■^. Hamrurg-Amertcan Co.'s Steamer "ASTURIA."
J. Messrs Elder, Dempster & Cc.'s Steamer "MONTCALM."
Palmers
was made, when the Company accepted from the
Admiralty a contract to build three torpedo-boat
destroyers of 27 knots speed. As the building of this
class of vessel had hitherto been almost wholly in the
hands of specialists, the production of the boats by
warship builders throughout the country was watched
with very great interest. The success of the Jarrow
boats was, however, complete ; the speed trials of the
W'Ksrtu.s- AUSTI^I-IAN GuYERN.iii:N'i s Tucj "PENGUIN.
Janus, Lightning, and Porcupine exceeding the most
sanguine expectations. A further order for six other
vessels of 30 knots speed almost immediately followed,
the results being equally satisfactory, some of them on
their trial trips attaining a speed of over 32 knots per
hour. Altogether, with the new orders now in hand, the
Company will have built no less than 15 of these vessels,
or a larger number than has been turned out by any
other individual firm for the British Government. The
26
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Palmkrs
most recent Government order is the first-class battleship
Russell, a vessel of the latest and most formidable type,
with which good progress has already been made, and
sanguine hopes are entertained that as regards celerity
of completion, the record in the case of the Revenge will
be exceeded. Several steamers of over 8000 tons and
some of 10,500 tons deadweight for the Atlantic cattle
trade have been recently delivered, and others of similar
capacity are now in hand. In addition to numerous
yS "MANCHESTER PORT."
electrically-driven modern machines and tools, hydraulic
presses, pneumatic riveters and caulkers, electric drills, &c.,
the shipyard possesses its own forge, where forgings of
the largest class are manufactured for the ships in hand,
and also rivet works capable of supplying the shipyard
and boiler shops. There are, in addition, large fitters',
plumbers', joiners', and cabinetmakers' shops, where the
manifold internal fittings required in ship construction,
including steering gears, &c., are manufactured. From
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this it will be seen that the shipyard is capable of
turning out vessels of the largest and highest class in a
practically completed state. The berths have been recently
re-arranged to admit of the building of ships up to
600 feet in length.
The graving dock is 440 feet long by 70 feet wide
and some notable repairs to vessels have been executed
in it. The repairs to the oil steamer Rotterdam, which
occupied the dock for 137 working days after grounding
TuuiiTv Yacht
"lEENE."
recently on the coast of Newfoundland, and to the
steamers Brinkbtirn and Strathcarron, are cases in point.
The slipway, worked by hydraulic power, is 600 feet
long.
In the preceding description of the shipyard, reference
has been made to the very satisfactory results attained
by machinery constructed in the engine works, but it will
be interesting to note a few further particulars of this
department, the productive capacity of which may be
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},fauj,red by ihc fact t)i;it 34 sets of cn^,n'nes and boilers liavc
been turned out in one year. The worlc produced is of
gr(-at variety, ran^n'ng from tlie engines of a steam launcli
U) those ff)r large cargo and passenger steamers, and from
the light high - speed machinery for a tfjrpedo - boat
destroyer to the ponderous engines for a first - class
battleship. 'J"hc department is self-contained, having its
own forge and also foundries for the production of iron,
brass and steel castings ; and the btjiler shops were
recently re-erected and e(|uip])(,-fl with jjlant of the inust
mfjdcrn tyjje, capable of dealing with boilers of the
largest anrl heaviest descrijjtion. /Xmong the various
machines in these shops are a [jlate edge-jjlaning machine,
capable of taking a plate 35 feel long by 12 feet wide
and planing two edges simultaneously ; a sc-1 of vertical
rolls, capable of bending cold a shelbplate 12 feet wide
and I ->fi inches thick; a 20f)-ton hyflraulic flaiiger; a
hyflraulic riveting machine with 12 feet ga]), and capable
of exerting a jjressure of 150 tons; also a special boiler-
shell drilling machine with four drilling; heads; a fwo-
heaflefl t7iachine for drilling and tapjjing holes for sta)s
and stay tubes, anfl screwing the- slays of tubes into
positicjn without the use- of hanri labour, and a large
number of other special tools. It may be here mentioned
that vertical rolls for boiler shell-plates were first used
in these,- works, and the fjriginal rolls were in operation
until the heavy rolls above mentifmerl wt^re erected.
The shops are alsrj equipped for d(;aling with the "ICxpress"
type of water-tube boiler, and more recently a plant
for the manufacture of Jielleville boil(;rs has been added,
.\ speciality of the rlepartment is the manufacture: rjf the
" Reerl " water-tube boiler, the invention of Mr J. W. Reed,
manager of the engine works rlepartment, which has Ijeen
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adopted with well-known results in the high-speed boats
already referred to, and also in vessels constructed for the
Admiralty on the Clyde. It may be observed that nearly
25 miles of tubes are used in the manufacture of the
boilers and machinery of each 30-knot destro)cr. Hea\y
marine boilers can be turned out at the rate of one per
week, and, in addition, a large number of water-tube
boilers are produced, of pressures ranging up to 300 lbs.
per square inch.
34
Palmers
In the iron foundry, in addition to all the castings
required for the engines, a feature is the manufacture
of ingot moulds and slag tubs, for which there is a
considerable demand, thousands of tons being turned
out during the year. In the
machine and erecting shops
; there are machine tools
of the most modern
type, for turning out
the various classes
of work in the most
perfect manner, and
with a minimum of
labour. In the lower
erecting shops, engines
of various sizes for
single and twin screw
merchant vessels
are built, while
in the upper shop
torpedo-destroyer
engines to run about
400 revolutions per
minute, and r e p r e-
sentmg the finest class of
work, are erected side by
side with engines of 18,000 horse-
Wes>t Jettv and Shekju-khs,
power, for one of our largest battleships.
Vertical and horizontal engines, simple, compound,
triple and quadruple and paddle engines have been
built here, and it is worth noting that the first set
of triple-expansion engines used in the British Navy
were made in these works. For lifting" machinery
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and boilers on board, a new set of sheerlegs has recently
been erected, capable of lifting regularly 120 tons. They
are 135 feet high, with an overhang of 60 feet, are capable
of lifting the largest boilers on board at any state of the
tide, and are the largest and most powerful sheerlegs
in this country.
In the pig-iron making department there are five
blast furnaces of the most modern description, with the
usual equipment of hot-blast stoves. One of these
furnaces is set apart for the manufacture of Cleveland
iron, principally for foundry purposes. In the other
furnaces high-class hematite pig is produced for the
manufacture of the mild steel now so largely used in
shipbuilding. The Cleveland furnace produces on an
average 650 tons of pig-iron per week, while the hematite
furnaces produce about 1000 tons per week per furnace,
a total production of nearly 250,000 tons per annum.
Each of the five blast furnaces in operation is about
80 feet high, of 24 feet diameter at the boshes, and
1 1 feet in the hearth. The bulk of the hematite produced
is transferred to the Company's own steel works, where
it is converted into Siemens-Martin mild' steel by the
acid process, the surplus iron being sold to neighbouring
steel makers. In the steel works there are eight melting
furnaces of modern construction, each of 40 tons capacity
per charge ; and the steel produced by them is cast into
ingots suitable for plates and sectional material. In the
rolling department there are two 38-inch cogging mills,
one of which cogs for plates and the other for sectional
material. There is a 36-inch sectional mill, driven by
a pair of 50-inch reversing engines, in which all kinds
of sections used in ship and bridge-building are rolled.
There are two smaller bar mills, viz., — a 20-inch and a
38
Palmers
1 2-inch, in which smaller sections, and rounds and squares
are rolled. The plate-mill has rolls 30 inches in diameter
by 8 feet long, and produces on an average 1000 tons
per week. The sheet mill has rolls 22 inches in diameter
by 5 feet long, and is chiefly used for the rolling of
material employed in the construction of torpedo-boat
destroyers. The mills are fully equipped with the usual
guillotine shears, hot and cold saws, and punching and
straightening presses, besides some noteworthy contriv-
ances for saving heat and labour. There is a complete
installation of electrical power for driving all the outlying
machinery, and there is also an extensive plant for
electro-galvanizing. The lighting is effected by electricity.
With this plant the steel works are capable of supplying
the whole of the plates, sheets, angle-bars, channels and
beams required for the construction of vessels in the ship-
yard, and in addition, a considerable quantity of steel
is sold to outside shipbuilders, both in this country and
abroad. For the most part, material is sent to the
shipyards in the condition in which it is rolled, but the
rolling-mills are equipped to enable that department to
undertake portions of the finishing work which ship-
builders occasionally find inconvenient. For instance,
there is a powerful plate-ripping and edge-planing
machine which enables this department to undertake
the trimming and shaping of plates up to six inches
thick. There is also a complete plant for cambering
and welding the knees on ships' deck beams. The
success of this plant will be understood when it is
mentioned that these finished deck beams find their
way into every shipbuilding port in the country, as
well as to many of the shipbuilding centres on the
Continent.
40
STEEL WORKS.
Palmers
The method of manufacture of pig-iron and steel may
be here described. As regards Cleveland iron, the stone
is conve}'ed to Jarrow from the Yorkshire mines in the
Company's fleet of steamers. It is first placed in open-
topped cylindrical kilns, together with coke breeze and
coal smudge, and roasted, the roasting driving off the
moisture and part of the impurities, leaving the iron in
the state of peroxide, and in an easily smeltable condition.
This roasted ironstone is charged into the top of the
blast furnace, together with coke and limestone, the coke
being obtained from the collieries of the district, and
the limestone from quarries which are close at hand.
The limestone is used as a flux for the earthy impurities of
the ore, ^\-ith which it combines and forms an easily fusible
slag. Hot air at a pressure of 5 lbs. per square inch, and
at a temperature of between 1500" and 1600" Fahrenheit,
is blown into the furnace through tuyeres, and coming
into contact with the coke, the ensuing corhbustion gives
off an intense heat. Part of the carbon of the coke
is consumed in producing this heat, and part combines
with the oxygen in the oxide of iron, leaving the metallic
iron free. The fluid iron, in virtue of its superior weight,
sinks to the bottom of the crucible, \\'hile the fluid slag,
being lighter, floats on the top. The furnace is tapped
every six hours, the bulk of the slag being first drawn
off through a slag-hole above the level of the melted
iron, and the iron is afterwards tapped off at a lower
level, and cast on beds of sand into " pigs." The product
is known as Cleveland iron. The higher qualities of
Cleveland iron, that is, Nos. i, 2, 3 and 4 foundry, are
used for foundry purposes. The closer grained quality,
known as No. 4 forge, is puddled and converted into
wrought iron.
Palmers
In these works, however, the bulk of pig-iron manu-
factured is that known as hematite, and is used in the
manufacture of Siemens-Martin steel. For this purpose
it is necessary that the pig-iron should be exceedingly
pure, and especially free from sulphur and phosphorus ;
hence the necessity of using hematite ores. These ores
are obtained from the north and south of Spain, and
from the north coast of Africa, and are brought direct
to the Company's wharf by steamers carrying about 3000-
tons each. As these ores are natural peroxides of iron,
no preliminary roasting is necessary, and they are at
once charged into the furnace, together with limestone
and coke as before, and cast into ''pigs" as in the
case of Cleveland iron. It should be mentioned that
each pig bears a distinguishing brand ; Cleveland pigs
being branded " J arrow," and hematite pigs " Tyneside."
On account of the superior richness of iron in hematite
ores as compared with Cleveland ironstone, less time is
necessary to smelt them in the furnace, less slag is
produced and more iron obtained in a given time as
compared with the manufacture of Cleveland iron.
The conversion of Cleveland iron into wrought iron is
thus effected. About 5 cvvts. of Cleveland iron are charged
into a small rectangular furnace, known as a puddling
furnace, the bottom of which is lined with oxidising
materials. The pig-iron, which is combined with over 3
per cent, of carbon, and may contain over i per cent, of
silicon and I Yi per cent, of phosphorus, is melted on this
bottom, and is partly oxidised during melting. Shortly
after melting, active oxidation takes place, which causes
the material to rise in the furnace and " boil," slag freely
forming on the top and carrying with it the bulk of the
impurities of the iron. This slag is tapped off, leaving the
44
Oh
o
a
O H
S5 &
Palmers
iron clean. As soon as the " boil " finishes and the iron
subsides in the furnace it is stirred or puddled by means
of an iron rabble, and assumes a granular or pasty
condition. By means of the rabble it is divided into
several pieces and patted into balls, which are placed
under a steam hammer, known as a shingling hammer,
where it is further ' worked into shape and the last
traces of slag expelled. It is then passed through a
rolling mill ajid made into flat bars which are known
as puddled bars. The pig-iron has now been con-
verted into wrought iron comparatively free from carbon,
silicon, and phosphorus. These puddled bars are cut
into lengths and formed into "piles" with scrap
wrought iron. The " piles " are brought to a welding
heat and rolled into plates or bars as may be required.
Passing on to the conversion of hematite pig-iron
into steel in the Siemens' furnaces, it may be stated
that the Siemens' furnaces at these works consist of
rectangular chambers about 24 feet by 11 feet inside.
They are heated by gas made from coal on the premises,,
and are regenerati\-e: that is to say, the waste heat leaving
the furnace, and which would otherwise escape by the
chimne)-, is caught in large chambers in which are
loosely-piled fire-bricks. These bricks become highly
heated by the escaping gases, and when the furnace is
" reversed " the heat so caught is given up to the gas and
air which are entering the furnace. In the puddling
process for the manufacture of wrought iron it was stated
that 5 cwts. of pig-iron were dealt with at a time. In steel
making, however, quantities of 40 tons are dealt with in
each charge. Pig-iron is charged on the bottom of the
furnace, together with scrap steel to the extent of about 20-
per cent, of the total weight of the charge, and after the
46
o
X
a
z
H
H
^/^ ^
Palmers
charge is thoroughly melted, Campanil ore, which is very
pure hematite ore, consisting chiefly of peroxide of iron, is
thrown into the molten mass. The oxygen in the
ore combines with the silicon and carbon in the pig-
iron ; large quantities of carbonic oxide gas are given
off, which results in a violent " boil " in the molten
mass, and this brings every part of the metal within
the oxidising influence of the ore, with the result that
the oxide of iron in the ore gives up its oxygen to
the carbon and silicon in the pig-iron, leaving the
iron in the ore free as metallic iron, and the iron in
the pig-iron free from silicon and carbon. The ores
usually contain sufficient lime to form a fusible slag ;
but if not, limestone in small quantities is added to
combine with the earthy impurities of the ore. After
all action ceases, the metal is tapped through a hole
in the side of the furnace into a huge ladle holding
40 tons, and while it is running, ferro manganese in
a finely-divided form is thrown into the ladle where it
melts and combines with the purified iron, its function
being to finally remove all oxides and leave the metal
in a truly metallic state. From the ladle the metal
is tapped into rectangular iron moulds known as ingot
moulds, and cast into rectangular shapes known as
ingots. These ingots are put into heating furnaces,
and, if for the manufacture of bars, are rolled directly
into finished shapes. For the manufacture of plates,
however, they are first rolled into flat rectangular
pieces known as " slabs," which are again re-heated and
rolled into plates. The plates or bars are cut to
required sizes for use in shipbuilding, bridge and roof
building, boiler making, or other manufacturing purposes.
Before leaving the works they are inspected and
SA^.I^G.SHl,. "LYDGATE" ,n Dock.
Palmers
subjected to careful tests to prove their strength and
ductility, and are usually further inspected and tested
by surveyors attached to various inspecting bodies, such
as the Admiralty, Lloyds, British Corporation, Bureau
Veritas, and German Lloyds, besides the Inspectors of
railway companies and engineers.
It is of interest to add that many eminent shipbuilders
and engineers have been trained at the works, or have
passed some time in the Company's service, including
Mr John M'Intyre, senr., the originator of the double
bottom for water-ballast ; Mr John Thornycroft, the well-
known builder of high-speed vessels; Sir James AUport,
subsequently General Manager of the Midland Railway
Company ; Mr Zimmerman, Chief Director of the Vulcan
Yard at Stettin, and designer of the Kaiser VVilhelm der
Grosse; Mr F. C. Marshall, of Messrs Hawthorn,
Leslie & Coy., whose name is associated with the
introduction of forced-draught ; Mr John Price, now
a director of Messrs C. S. Swan & Hunter, Ltd. ;
Mr J. P. Wilson, formerly General Manager of Messrs
Thomson's Clydebank Shipbuilding Coy., who is still con-
nected with the works; Mr F. W. Dick, the present manager
of the iron and steel departments ; and Mr A. Adamson,
who became General Manager of the Naval Construction &
Armaments Co., of Barrow, afterwards amalgamated with
Messrs Vickers Sons & Maxim, Ltd.
The number of men and boys employed by the
Company is not far short of io,000, and the wage bill
averages between ^^500,000 and ^750,000 per annum.
The wages are paid weekly, and notwithstanding the
large number of recipients, the distribution io completed
in about fifteen minutes without the least confusion
or error.
50
Palmers
The productive capacity of the works is shown in
the following table, which gives the tonnage of ships
built since 1852. The total number of vessels com-
pleted is 753, and their aggregate gross register is
nearly one million and a quarter tons, a total which,
it is believed, has never been exceeded by any ship-
building establishment : —
Year.
Tonnage.
Year.
Tonnage
1852
920
1876 .
. 8,635
1853
. 3,539
1877 .
. 16,235
1854 .
7,469
1878 .
. 23,470
1855 •
. 5,169
1879 ■
36,080
1856 .
7,531
1880 .
. 38,117
1857
. 6,816
1881
. 50,192
1858 .
7,625
1882 .
. 60,379
1859 •
11,894
1883
61,113
i860 .
4,653
1884 .
. 28,911
i86i
. 4,751
1885
25,057
1862 .
. 22,493
1886 .
20,725
1863 .
. 17,096
1887 .
. 19,324
1S64 .
22,896
1888
47,076
-86s ■
31,111
1889 .
64,669
1866
18,973
1890 .
. 42,312
1867
16,555
1891
30,279
1868 .
15,842
1892 .
33,170
1869 .
11,900
1893 •
. 19,543
1870 .
26,129
1894
. 35,141
1871 .
19,267
1895 ■
27,440
1872
12,810
1896 .
36,185
1873 •
21,017
1897 .
. 40,319
1874 .
25,057
1898 .
. 41,824
1875 •
15,819
1899 .
. 42,683
51
I'AI.MUKS
'he indicated iuirsf-|ni\\'i'i- (if cii^iiu's hiiill siiu'i' iS-f)
is as follows :
\\: \K.
11. -P.
\l' AH,
ll,-l>.
1877 .
■i, 1 i;i
1 881) .
in,'.) 10
1878 .
lo.nso
1 840 .
.•(7,noo
,879 .
. ll,ii:t(»
i8()i
22,'M'ii)
1880 .
. l;!,(Tjn
i8„.-
. .'iT.loo
1 88 I .
18,1 no
i'"^'),;
.•ii,7n7
i88j
■20,] 10
|8().| .
in,<.)0()
, 88,,
2S,i)IO
1 8ij5 .
. in,:ino
1884 .
22,1 -M)
i8()r.
'j;!,Hno
.885 .
!),;i7()
i8y7 .
i;f,n7o
i88f)
. \2J>\{)
1 8,,8
. 2(i,8;i0
1887 .
. -JS, 1 20
i8()()
i:i,;ioo
1888 .
. il,(>iO
A list of fifty-six v't'ssc'ls of wai' I'oiistructcd for
our own ("io\ (.■rnnuMit, at Jarrow, is appi'iulcd, and it
will be seen that tliesi' include cyvry di'siription of
fighting shi]), from the river gun-l)oal to the hatllcshi]).
It is c'stimated that, plaeed in a line, these vessels
would form a wall of defence exlendiiiL; o\i'r nearl)'
three miles, thus constituting a nolc'worthw if not an
unsurpassed record of naval shipbuilding.
52
Pai.mkrs
LIST OF WAR VESSELS
BUll.T BY
PALMERS SHIPBUILDING AND IRON CO. LD.
BATTLESHIPS.
Date.
Xame.
DiSPLACRMF.NT,
LH.P.
1854
Terror
— tons
1862
Dchncc
6,270 „
■2,540
1S72
Ccrkrus
•",480 „
1,670
1S7-
CrOri;<>/i
.",480 „
1,670
iS;^
S:c'//fsi/ri-
6,;no „
4,910
1872
Triumph
6,910 ,.
4,910
1S03
Resolution
14,150 ,.
13,000
tSo3
Rr.viige
14,150 „
13,000
1 Sin)
Russell
14,100 „
18,000
CRUISERS.
n \ IE.
Name.
Dl<l'l.\CEMENT.
LH.P.
1SS5
Surprise
1,6-50 tons
3,000
1SS5
Alacrity
1.650 ..
3.000
iSSS
OrianJo
5,000 ,.
8.500
1S8S
UiiJaunted
5,000 „
8,500
1891
Rii!'il>i>:c
3,600 ,,
9.680
iSoi
Retrifiutio/: .
3,600 .,
9.680
181)1
Rit/u,-
3.600 ..
9.680
iSg8
7Vl,'(7.v7/.C
2,135 ..
7.000
i8gS
Rirrtmus
2,135 „
7.000
Palmers
LIST OF WAR WESSELS— Continued.
RIVER GUNBOATS.
Date.
Name.
187s
Medina
))
Medway
J5
Sabrina
55
Spey .
))
Slaney :
1876
Esk .
))
Tay
))
Tees
,,
Don .
)j
Dee .
jj
Trent .
)>
Tweed .
1889
Planet (Austrian)
Displacement.
363 tons
I.H.P.
410
500 tons
3,500
TORPEDO MINERS.
Date.
Name.
1879
No.
/
))
No.
2
))
No.
3
1880
No.
4
1881
No.
5
No.
6
No.
7
No.
8
No.
9
No.
10
Displacement.
104 tons
I.H.P.
130
54
Palmers
LIST OF WAR YESSELS—Con^tnued.
TORPEDO-BOAT
DESTROYERS.
Date.
Name.
Displacement.
I.H.P.
1895
Janus .
252 tons
3790
))
Lightning .
))
)J
Porcupine
J3
1897
Star .
322 tons
6000
))
Whiting
)>
))
Crane .
5)
5)
Flying Fish .
n
15
Chamois
5)
J)
Bat .
J)
1898
Fawn .
))
))
Flirt .
JJ
1899
Spiteful
J)
1)
Peterel
}I
)l
Syren .
)'
;>
Myrmidon
))
TROOPSHIP (Indian)
Date. Name. Displacement. I.H.P.
1866 Jumna . . . 6,050 tons 700
BATTLESHIPS DESIGNED.
Date. Name. Displacement.
1893 Infanta Maria Teresa . 6,980 tons
„ Almirante Oqicendo . „
,, Viscaya . . „
55
I.H.P.
13,000
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